Operation of ships&#39; propellers.



No. 832,622. PATENTED OCT. 9, 1906. G. DEL PROPOSTO. OPERATION OF SHIPS PROPELLERS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 27. 1903.

WIT/V555 VENTOR CESIDIO DEL PROPOSTO, OF NICOLAIEFF, RUSSIA.

OPERATION OF SHIPS PROPELLERS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

. Patented Oct. 9, 1906.

Application filed November 27, 1908. Serial No. 182,893.

propellers are generally'adapted to be reversed and to be varied in speed in wide limits; but there are other engines which, on account of their mode of operation, are adapted to rotate in one direction only at different 'speeds (steam or gas turbines and the like) or which are adop ed to rotate in one direction only and at a speed which is practically con tant, (explosion and combustion motors f r gas, alcohol, benzin, petrol, raw naphtha, and the like.)

This invention has for its object to allow of the application of the. above-indicated engines or motors (which in ordinary cases are unsuitn ole for operating ships ropellers) 2 5 for directly operating ships prope lers, while pra'ctically avoiding the losses of energy which would be caused by using a system of transmission between the said motors and the ropeller-shaft.

' The invention is also applicable in all cases where the engine, being adapted to be re versed and to be varie in speed, it is preferred to h ve it running at a constant speed and in one direction only.

The invention consists mainly in the interposition upon the pro eller-shaft, suitably ,vary the velocity of the propeller and redivided by clutches, 0 an electric dynamo and motor serving as intermediate transmission member between the engines and the propeller-shaft only when it is desired to verse the'direction of rotation, the engines driving the propeller-shaft directly when the vessel 1s running normally- Referring to the annexed drawings, Figur 1 isa diagram of an installation according to the invention. Fig. 2 shows a modification. According to my invention upon a prolon gation of the propeller-shaft E is arranged, in addition to the engine A, Fig. 1, a dynamo B and an electric motor C, adapted to be so plied by the dynamo and of approximate g the same power as this latter. he motor .is constantly connected to the shaft E by means of a fixed coupling-box M. A similar coupling M couples the dynamo B directl to the engine A. Between the dynamo and the motor 0 is mounted an electromagnetic or other clutch M, operated b the current supplied by the dynamo B. his latter acts as a source of current in the manner hereinafter explained and at the same time as a H '-wheel for the engine A, which consequerit y needs no other flywheel for rendering its movement uniform. When the engine A is stopped, the clutch M is uncoupled, and consequently said engine A is easily started, since the starting is effected without load. When starting has been effected, the

dynamo will supply currentfor the clutch 70 M, (if said clutc 1s an electromagnetic one,) which may be coupled. The propeller will thenrotate at the same velocit as the engine A. In these conditions tlie, engine A acts directly upon the propeller-shaft E. The dynamo B and the motor C rotate and act as a fiy-wheel for the engine A; but the give no current, (except for the clutch M, if this is an electromagnetic one,) so that the transmission between the engine A and the propeller-shaft takes place without loss of energy. If desired, however, the dynamo or the motor may supply the current for the lighting of the vessel and for operating the cranes, pum s, and other appliances or machines instal ed upon ships and adapted to be electrically operated.

1n order to reduce the speed of the propeller-shaft or reverse the direction of its rotation in regulating the number of revolutions from 0 to the normal number, (the engine A rotating invariably in the same direc tion and at the normal speed,) the clutch M is uncoupled, and the propeller-shaft E is rotated by means of the current supplied by the 5 dynamo B to the motor G. Then by the ordinary known means for regulating. electromotors all desirable changes may be speedily and exactly made either in the direction of rotation or in the velocity of the propeller- KOO shaft. In these conditions the transmission between the motor A and the propeller-shaft E experiences the losses in the dynamo B and the motor 0; but as these-'ma'chines only act as transmission parts which are of very short duration as compared with the. normal runnin the above atrangement may be said to e ect practically the transmission between the engine and the propeller-shaft without appreciable 10 of no during maneuvers r05 energy. As during these operations only the velocity or the direction of rotation of the propeller, of its shaft, and of the armature of the motor is' changed and as, on the other hand, the inertia of these parts is only a small fraction of the inertia of the Whole of the motor mechanism in movement, it follows that per deek, for example) without even ntify ing the engineers in charge of the engines, who have only to attend to the regularity of the runningof the engine at a constant speed and alwa s inthe same direction. 7 H

A simil ar arrangement maybe employed if two'or more engines A act upon the pro- -pellenshaft, Fig. 2. In this case, in addition to the advantages of the arrangement already described, there is that of not having to stop the vessel if one of the engines should be rendered inoperative.

If the engine A is to be repaired, it is only necessary to unclutch the coupling M. Kit is the engine A which is inoperative, the couplings 'M M are unclutched and the transmission between the en ine A and the propeller-shaft E is effected y the dynamo B operating the motor C, In both cases the engine, which is inoperative, 1s completely stopped in such a manner that rep airs may be effected very easily and rapidly. In this arrangement M M M are preferably electromagnetic clutches, and M is an ordinary coupling-box.

In the above-describedarrangements P P P P aresuitable bearings.

Obviously in both cases the elcrtroinag netic clutches may be replaced by mechan-' ical clutches operated by hand, by Water,

compressed air, or any other means adapted to speedily effect the coupling and uncouplin l he above-described arrangement is evidentlyapplicable indiii'erently in the case of screw-propellers or of wheel-propellers, with this condition only, in the latter case, that the normal speed of the engine can'bethe same as that of the wheel-shaft.

- peller-shaft' when maneuvers What I claim is v 1 In a system for propelling vessels by aid of a non-reversible driving-engine, in combi- 5o nation: a non-reversible driving-engine, a dynamo mounted on the shaft of said engine,- a propeller-shaft in line with the shaft of the driving-engine, an electric motor'onsaid propeller-shaft, said electric motor being adapted to rotate in both directions and at a variable speed by the current of the dynamo, a

suitable clutch adapted to connect the shaft 7 of the driving-engine directly with the propeller-shaft when, maneuvers being completed, the propeller-shaft is to be rotated in the same direction and at the same speed as the driving-engin the whole operating, substantially as described and for the purpose of dispensing with the use on shipboard of a sec- 7 5 ondary source of motive power for maneuvering and of avoiding the losses of motive power which would occunwhen running normally if the driving-engine would drive thepropeller-shaft by aid of instead of directly as'described;

2. In a system for propelling vessels by aid of non-reversible'drivingengines incombination, twonon-reversible driving-engines running in the same directions and-at the same speed,a single driving-shaft common to the two driving-engines, a propeller-shaft in line with said shaft, a dynamo mounted on the common driving-shaft, suitable clutches on.

said driving-shaft between gthe dynamo and each of the driving-engines, an electric motormounted on the propeller-shaft and adapted to be rotated in both directions at variable speed by the current of :the dynamo and a1:-

suitable clutch adapted to connect the shaft of the driving-enginesdirectly with the pro-- being .com-" pleted, the propeller-shaft maybe rotated in the same direction and at thesame speedas the driving-engines, the whole operating sub;

stantially as described and for t e u'rpose" of dispensing with the usei on board 0 sh1p,-of a" secondary source of motive power for maneuvering. and of avolding thelosses; of motive power which would occur when running norrnallyif' the driving-engines would drive the propeller-shaft b aid of-a transmissiongear instead of directl as described. 1 y i. In Witness whereof have hereunto set my hand in presence of two witnesses- Witnessess; THOMAS E. HEEN N;

MUEWEPEN RUMMUvaL'r.

transmitting-gear 80 I CESIDIO DEL PRoPos'rQ, 

